Joffrey Lupul And Scottie Upshall At Bonnaroo

Will These NHL All-Stars Survive Bonnaroo?

I have an all-access pass and will attempt to review as many shows and meet as many artists as possible (apparently Paul McCartney and Tom Petty are off limits, but I can be quite crafty when I put my mind to it).

Bonnaroo, to me, is unlike any other music festival. I went the first time six years ago and I have been back every year since. The first year, Scottie Upshall and I stayed in an RV and packed nothing more than some board shorts and rubber boots. I'd like to imagine that since then we have matured… a little. Now we wear shirts, comfortable shoes and are staying in a tour bus.

And this year, we're not just fans: We've been given media access by AskMen, with the hopes of delivering you the feeling of what its like to be front row, backstage and everywhere else at America's best music festival.

With 90 degree heat, daily thunderstorms and 100,000 people, Bonnaroo is not for everyone. The stages, in some kind of cruel punishment to first-timers — and kids who may have been over-served — are named What, Which, This and That. You can see how this may be confusing when trying to coordinate with your friends where you're headed. There is no curfew and that can take its toll (Kanye West, Lil Wayne and LCD Soundsystem are three acts in particular that I remember starting at 2 a.m. or later). If that doesn't sound appealing, just sit back and live it through us. But if it DOES sound appealing, go to Bonnaroo.com, grab a wristband and we'll see you there!

Here's how its gonna go down the next few days: Scottie Upshall has photography access and will be up front in the pit with all the world's best rock 'n' roll photographers. I have an all-access pass and will attempt to review as many shows and meet as many artists as possible (apparently Paul McCartney and Tom Petty are off limits, but I can be quite crafty when I put my mind to it). Then, in what I imagine will be the more difficult part, I will sit down and write about the shows, artists and everything else you need to know about!

To start things off, here are the Top 10 shows that I am looking forward to this weekend.

Jim James is the singer of My Morning Jacket. They are the sh*t. Therefore these solo shows are guilty of being the sh*t by association. Don't miss. (Jim James also hosts Superjam Saturday, 12 a.m., at This Tent)